


Another Love

by starrynicole



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, End game is johnny and hyuck, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sorry markhyuck shippers, Unrequited Love, not too much angst tho, the other members are mentioned briefly, we going johnhyuck hours, we love fluff in this household
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-28 23:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16252382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynicole/pseuds/starrynicole
Summary: Donghyuck wishes he hated Mark for all of the wrong reasons.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So uhh this happened. lmao. This just randomly came to me and I sat down and wrote it out. Tell me what you think! 
> 
> I also felt like Johnchan / Johnhyuck needed more love so! But I’m a sucker for markhyuck,, sue me. 
> 
> Also,,,, I quickly read over it bc I just wanted to be done with it so it’s unbeta-ed... sue me,, again.

Donghyuck hates Mark. 

No, that isn’t quite true. Instead, Donghyuck hates when Mark does certain things. 

It is when Mark’s face seems to light up like the sun; his eyes holding tiny stars as he looks Yukhei’s way. A smile will tug at his lips unknowingly as Yukhei starts speaking in his direction. He gives Yukhei all of his uninvited attention the moment he walks into a room. 

It is when Mark laughs at Yukhei’s jokes. He will reach over and hit Yukhei’s shoulder playfully at a funny statement. His eyes will crinkle, and his nose will scrunch up. His laugh is loud; the force of it seeming to wrack through his body as he doubles over with tears in his eyes. 

It is when Mark allows Yukhei to hold his hand. Mark’s face coats lightly in red as Yukhei beams at him with a squeeze of their interlocked hands. They will giggle as Yukhei tugs Mark down the hall. Donghyuck almost lost his grip on the glass cup he held in his hand the moment he witnessed it. 

It is when Mark and Yukhei go alone in a room together. Hushed whispers and small giggles are heard through the closed door of the bedroom. Donghyuck listened with his head pressed against the cold wood; he had to refrain from barging into the room with a rough turn of the door handle. It was due to the fact that they were in Donghyuck’s shared room with Mark. 

It is when Mark allows Yukhei to kiss him on the lips. Yukhei bends down to Mark’s height. Their eyes stare into one another’s for a few moments. Their gazes so lovingly and warm. Yukhei will bring his lips to Mark’s carefully, their hands finding each other’s body. Yukhei cradles Mark’s face; Mark sliding his arms around Yukhei’s neck. They pull each other even closer as they deepen their kiss. Donghyuck felt a tear slip down his cheek as he stood in the doorway watching the scene before him. He ran away faster than he ever thought he could possibly run. 

It was finally when Mark switched rooms. He brought the news to Donghyuck with a timid smile; it seemed so sincere. He kept scratching at the back of his neck, and a blush was crawling up the side of his face and on the base of his neck. He explained to Donghyuck that he was moving into Yukhei’s room. All Donghyuck heard was white noise as Mark’s mouth formed words. 

Yeah, maybe he wants to hate Mark. However, he can’t seem to make himself hate him. That is because Donghyuck is in love with Mark.

Donghyuck loves Mark, and he becomes aware of the ache in his chest when he sees Yukhei pecking Mark’s cheek. He has the feeling to roll his eyes when sees them embrace much longer than what is needed. He wants to cry when he walks in on them with their clothes lying aimlessly on the floor. 

As much as Donghyuck wants to hate Mark, he physically can’t. Donghyuck can’t control his emotions, as much as he may want to, and that leads to him yearning for the same attention Mark gives to Yukhei. He feels stupid. He feels more than beyond stupid, because he fell in love with his best friend. 

He can’t even hate Yukhei. He is outgoing, lovable, and just perfect. Donghyuck can’t find a single flaw about him, and that fact irritates every nerve in his body. 

Because of these turn of events, Donghyuck lays silently in his bed. He does most nights now. He is unable to fall asleep with his thoughts running wild around his head. 

Before, sleeping wasn’t such a problem for him. Occasionally, Mark would slip under the sheets of his bed when Donghyuck had nights where sleep didn’t come as easily as it should have. Mark would allow Donghyuck to wrap himself around the older and stay in that embrace until he fell into deep slumber. 

He sighs quickly. Clutching the pillow in his arms closer to his chest, he nuzzles his face into the fabric of the soft material. He registers the sound of slight movement coming from behind him. The door to his bedroom is opened slowly, light from the hallway leaking into the darkened room. Donghyuck cracks his eyes open and stares at the wall in front of him. He listens carefully to the movement as he lays completely still; he hopes to appear to still be sleeping. 

The door is shut at the same speed as it was opened. It hardly makes a noise, just a faint click, and then it is completely dark within the room again. Donghyuck hears almost imperceptible footsteps moving across the room, the slide of fabric between strides of legs giving away the presence of someone. He holds his breath, perhaps to listen more clearly. 

Not a moment passes before a loud thud is heard within the small bedroom; a low and audible groan of pain following suit. Donghyuck screws his eyes shut, and he tries to contain the snort that threatens to spill out of his mouth. That definitely was his roommate, Youngho. 

“Ow… what the… shit.” 

Donghyuck can’t hold it in any longer as a few giggles slip from his lips. He remembers that he is supposed to be asleep, but that plan goes out the window. 

The groaning momentarily stops as Donghyuck hears slight rustling of clothing and creak of a bed mattress before Youngho says quietly, “Donghyuck?” 

He refrains from laughing at Youngho’s confused murmurs and his vague hisses of pain. Donghyuck takes a beat to answer, “yes?”

“I’m sorry if I woke you up. I tried not to make any noise,” Donghyuck hears Youngho say softly, “but that obviously didn’t work out.” 

Donghyuck snorts briefly. He turns in his bed in order to face his roommate, even though the room is pitch black. “It’s alright. I wasn’t sleeping, anyways.” He reaches across the expansion of space between his bed and the nightstand to turn on his lamp. It illuminates the bedroom in a warm orange, including Youngho. He is sat on top of the opposing bed on the other side of the room. He has his leg raised to his chest, clutching his shin with his hands. 

Youngho quirks an eyebrow at him. “It’s late, though. Why weren’t you asleep?” he questions in a genuine tone. 

Donghyuck tightens the sheet around his shoulder; bringing it closer to his face. There is a point to Youngho’s statement. It is late, plus Donghyuck is tired from the long practice that all of them as a whole had. 

He shrugs nonchalantly as he looks at Youngho. “I just couldn’t go to sleep.” It wasn’t a lie. 

Youngho hums, but there is a gleam in his eyes as if he were suspicious of Donghyuck. He doesn’t look too serious, so Donghyuck lets out a breath that is more of a laugh. He snuggles further under the sheet to hide away from Youngho’s gaze, feeling somewhat giddy for no reason. 

“Don’t be lying to me, Hyuck. Or else,” Youngho says, open-ended. Donghyuck peeks his head out from under his sheet to peer at Youngho across the room. He watches the older set his leg back on the ground. 

“Or else what?” Donghyuck tests. A small smile plays on his lips as Youngho raises his eyebrows in a challenging manner. He doesn’t contain the giggles this time. 

Youngho stands up slowly, and Donghyuck feels his heart rate start to increase, unwarily. “You’ve been warned,” is the only thing he says before Youngho is reaching Donghyuck’s bed in a few strides. Donghyuck squeals and protests when Youngho’s hands are aiming for his neck to tickle him. Donghyuck flails his arms and legs in order to stop from Youngho from touching his neck. He laughs loudly when his fingers make contact with the juncture of his neck and shoulder. 

“St — stop! Youngho-hyung!” Donghyuck exclaims as more laughter falls from his mouth. He grabs onto Youngho’s arms with his hands; he tries to push them away, but to no use. Youngho is much stronger than him.

“Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over your dirty lies,” Youngho says over Donghyuck’s protests. A grin is present on Youngho’s face as he continues to tickle Donghyuck. Donghyuck tries desperately to squirm away from his prying fingers. 

“I’m — I’m not lying! Stop, stop!” he whines hopelessly, his body too tired to keep fighting. Thankfully, Youngho does stop his movement and starts retracting his fingers. Donghyuck still has a hold onto his forearms just in case Youngho betrays him. He tries to catch his breath; the tickling session causing him to be wore out and out of breath. 

Donghyuck sees Youngho glance down at his grip before looking back at him. “Okay, okay. I’m done. For now,” he says with a smile. Donghyuck groans which causes Youngho to laugh. “Don’t be like that.”

Donghyuck narrows his eyes at him playfully. “I can be however I want to be.” He let’s go of Youngho’s arms; Youngho retreating them to his lap as he sits on the edge of Donghyuck’s bed. 

“You can’t be a liar.” Youngho quirks the same eyebrow as before at Donghyuck. 

“You’d be surprised, actually,” he teases back. They stare at each other, and a few moments pass before Youngho looks away to check the time on Donghyuck’s phone that lies on the nightstand. 

“Who gave you permission to touch my phone?” Donghyuck asks lightheartedly. 

Youngho sets his phone back down and looks back at Donghyuck. “My apologies. I was just seeing how little sleep we will be getting tonight.” 

Donghyuck hums in return, bringing the sheet over his face. “Well, I guess I’ll go to sleep, then,” Donghyuck says through the fabric of the blanket, “I don’t want to be attacked by a giant, again.”

Donghyuck hears Youngho laugh quickly before the dip in his bed disappears. “You better watch it. This giant might come sooner than you think.” Donghyuck snorts and pulls the blanket back down to watch Youngho walk back to his side of the room. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” he responds playfully. 

Youngho slides under his sheets; Donghyuck watching silently. His mind starts to wander as he stares blankly in Youngho’s direction. He wonders if Youngho has been noticing that he hasn’t been himself recently. He wonders if Youngho knows why Donghyuck can’t sleep. They have only been roommates for almost a week now. Would Youngho have observed and deduced the reason for his sleepless nights? 

“What’s wrong, Hyuck?” 

Donghyuck’s eyes go wide, and his eyebrows raise as his vision focuses on Youngho turned in his bed. Youngho is staring at him with a look of uncertainty. Donghyuck parts his lips to tell him what exactly is running through his head; he almost explains what exactly is wrong. 

Instead, “oh.” Donghyuck shuts his mouth as Youngho gives him a look of concern. He lets a few beats of silence past before he responds, “is your leg okay?” 

Youngho’s eyebrows knit together as if he was processing the question. He quickly shakes it off and quirks one side of his mouth up. “Yes, it’s fine. Thank you for asking.” 

“You’re welcome,” he says, “just being a good Dongsaeng and checking up on his Hyung,” Donghyuck responds with a small smile. He reaches towards the nightstand and turns of the lamp, painting the bedroom into complete darkness. 

“Uh huh, sure,” Youngho says. His voice is quieter than it had previously been; it’s almost a whisper. 

Donghyuck feels his eyes shut on their own accord. He smiles around the words as he says, “I am the best Dongsaeng.” 

He wonders after a few moments if Youngho had already fallen asleep so quickly, but he receives a response after his short span of questioning. 

“That’s questionable. But in my book, you are,” Youngho says in a whisper, and Donghyuck barely catches it in his sleep-like state of mind. 

Donghyuck can only hum as sleep seems to be coming quicker than he had expected. His thoughts aren’t clouded with anything in particular. His heart feels warm and giddy. A smile is still on his face even when his body relaxes fully against his mattress.

For once, in what seems like forever, his mind and body feel at ease. Maybe Youngho is the best Hyung. 

“Goodnight, Donghyuck,” is what he hears before he falls into deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello so uh we are Back At It Again. Johnhyuck hours >>
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Donghyuck wakes up to a hand on his shoulder, moving it back and forth gently. His eyebrows furrow as the movement continues. He swats away at the arm lazily, trying to stop the hand from shaking him. He squishes his face further into the fabric of the pillow after failing at the attempt to stop the motion. He releases a low groan as he hears a small laugh from above him.

“Donghyuck-ah. It’s time to get up,” Donghyuck hears Youngho say softly. He feels the hand on his shoulder disappear, thankfully. He groans again in response, shielding his face from any light that appears behind his eyelids.

“My alarm didn’t go off yet,” he murmurs back, voice hoarse from sleep. He feels Youngho shift on his bed. He must be sitting on the edge of the mattress, just like he was last night.

Youngho laughs lightly again. “It did go off. You slept through it.”

Donghyuck cracks his eyes open, then. He turns his head to look at Youngho through his half-lidded eyes. He is momentarily taken aback by Youngho’s presence. The light from the window bathes half of Youngho’s face in a warm yellow. His eyes that shines in the morning glow are almost a vibrant brown as they stare into Donghyuck’s. There is a small, kind smile playing on Youngho’s lips as he looks down at him splayed across the bed.

“You’re kidding,” Donghyuck says in disbelief, looking at Youngho with parted lips. “I never do that.” Donghyuck always wakes up to his alarm, no matter how little sleep he got the previous night. There is no way he could have slept through it.

“Well. I hate to break it to you, but you did,” Youngho responds with a quirk of one side of his mouth. Donghyuck sits up slowly from his laid position. He looks around the room idly before focusing his gaze on Youngho.

Donghyuck scratches the back of his head with a small pout before asking, “what time is it?”

Youngho pulls his phone from his pocket to look down at the time. “It’s ten past eight. You have twenty minutes before we have to leave to go to the practice room.” Youngho looks back up at Donghyuck with a beaming smile. Donghyuck quirks an eyebrow at the cheerful expression.

“What’s with that look?” he asks, staring at Youngho with a muddled appearance. He doesn’t understand why he is smiling at Donghyuck in such a manner. It’s too early for that.

Youngho poorly stifles a laugh and looks away from Donghyuck’s perplexed face. “Oh, no reason. I’m just feeling extra perky today, I suppose,” he says, “actually, maybe it’s the fact that I found out you snore _very_ loudly.”

Donghyuck’s eyes go wide and it takes a few moments for him to register the sound of Youngho laughing in front of him. Okay, Donghyuck knows one for thing for sure; he never snores. Things aren’t adding up. However, Youngho is still laughing like it’s the only thing he can do.

He takes his hand and slaps Youngho’s shoulder to stop him from his amusement. “I don’t snore!” he says defendingly. “You must have heard someone else through the walls.” Donghyuck furrows his eyebrows as Youngho continues to chuckle.

“No, it was definitely you. You must have slept really well,” Youngho teases, reaching his arm to ruffle the honey brown hair on top of Donghyuck’s head. He grumbles in response. He snatches Youngho’s hand away from his head with a tug of his wrist, holding it down in his lap, instead.

“Shut up. Stop being annoying,” he says with a small frown. Donghyuck isn’t actually annoyed. In fact, Donghyuck hasn’t had this kind of interaction with the other members in a while. It feels good to joke around with someone, but something is lingering deep within him.

Donghyuck didn't realize he still had Youngho’s wrist in grip until Youngho starts pulling his hand away from his lap. “Okay, okay,” the older responds with mock defeat. “Hurry up and eat so we can head to practice.” Donghyuck cocks his head slightly to the side as he pursues his lips.

“We?” he asks softly. He watches Youngho give him another warm smile; Donghyuck always thought his smile was comforting which is a random thought. Youngho pats Donghyuck’s leg through the blanket quickly before standing up. He walks towards the door, pulling it open as he leaves Donghyuck in the empty room.

Donghyuck finds something weird. He’s not sure exactly what it is that he finds weird, but he does know that something feels off. He has gut feeling, just in the pit of his stomach, and it feels like a weight is holding him down. He doesn’t waste much time contemplating the reason for it, instead he coaxes himself into getting out of bed.

He heads towards his closet, and he picks out a plain white shirt to throw on. He grabs a pair of washed out, skinny black jeans and changes into his outfit. He combs through his hair quickly while he examines himself in the mirror.

While gazing at his reflection, he wonders numbly if his appearance had anything to do with Mark not liking him in a romantic way. Promptly, his mind starts racing, as it always does. Maybe if he was taller he would fit Mark’s type. Maybe if he was more fit Mark would love him like he loves Yukhei. Would Mark wrap his arms around Donghyuck’s waist? Would he kiss his cheek and look at him as if he was the only person to exist?

 _Oh_ , Donghyuck thinks as his thoughts come to a halt. He will have to live through another day of witnessing Mark and Yukhei painting the stars in each other’s eyes as they laugh bubbly at something the other said. He suddenly doesn’t want to leave the comfort of his room. He doesn’t want to keep facing them again and again. He doesn’t want to see Mark.

Although his hands are suddenly too sweaty and shaky, he sighs as he gives himself one last longing look into the mirror. As much as he doesn’t want to, he turns his back to his reflection, and he walks towards the door that leads into the hallway.

The dorm is usually lively; it seems to always be filled with commotion. Members talk among each other, play games, or cook something for the whole group to enjoy. Even before practice begins, the members are out of bed and starting their day off. So when Donghyuck is making his way down the narrow hallway, he isn’t surprised by the noisy ruckus coming from the kitchen.

Once he steps past the threshold leading into the kitchen, Donghyuck sees a few members maneuvering themselves around the open space. Jaehyun notices him first, and he sends him a soft smile when Donghyuck catches his attention.

“Good morning, Hyuck,” he says warmly, “are you hungry?” Donghyuck gives him a stiff nod; he allows a small smile to find itself on his face, just for the sake of being nice.

He says a small hello to other members who fleet in and out through the kitchen as he makes his way further into the kitchen, not really focusing on anyone in particular. He glances at Taeyong, and he sees him frying something in a pan on the stove. He can’t exactly see what it is that Taeyong is cooking, but based on the smell Donghyuck concludes that it must be pancakes. He walks towards the direction of Taeyong. He doesn’t notice Donghyuck’s presence until Donghyuck leverages himself onto the counter next to the stove.

Taeyong glances up at Donghyuck who is situated on the counter. “Well, good morning, Donghyuck.” He flips a pancake with the spatula in his hand and Donghyuck watches silently.

He leans back against the cupboards so he can see Taeyong’s face better. “Morning, hyung,” he says over the sound of the pancake batter sizzling. It looks really good, and pancakes just so happen to be one of his favorite breakfast meals.

Donghyuck thinks about how thankful he is for someone like Taeyong. He is always looking out and taking care of the other members. He doesn’t show his weak side; he always makes sure to stay strong for those who cannot. Donghyuck wishes he were like that.

As Donghyuck watches Taeyong cook several pancakes for the next few minutes, a voice grabs his attention, “hey, look. We are about the same height now.” His stare turns from blank to aware as he shifts his gaze up at the person who is talking to him. It’s Youngho.

He stands just a few feet in front of Donghyuck; a smile is present on his face as he looks in his direction. Donghyuck now laughs shorty at the small comment, almost embarrassingly. What Youngho said wasn’t humorous, but it’s the way he looks so delighted about the fact that Donghyuck appears taller while sitting on the counter. He can’t help himself from teasing the older.

“Actually, I think I’m taller,” he says in a playful tone, “I guess I’m the giant now.” He feels one side of his mouth quirk up in a smirk.

Youngho raises his eyebrows at him. Donghyuck tries stifling his laugh as Youngho takes a few steps toward him and eyes the top of Donghyuck’s head, appearing to determine who is actually taller. Youngho starts shaking his head with a confident look.

“No, I’m definitely still taller,” Youngho says with a smirk of his own. He glances back down to Donghyuck’s gaze and Donghyuck narrows his eyes at him.

“You’re not close enough, so I can’t tell,” he huffs quickly. Donghyuck leans forward to grab Youngho’s shoulders and guide him closer to the counter. Youngho is practically in-between Donghyuck’s legs, but Donghyuck doesn’t focus on that as he measures their heights with his eyes. He sits up straight and he notices that his head his higher than Youngho’s. He starts smiling to himself, ready to tell Youngho that he was right.

However, movement from behind Youngho catches his attention. Just past Youngho’s shoulder, Donghyuck sees two figures walk into the kitchen.

It’s Mark and Yukhei. Their hands are joined together as if they were never separated in the first place, their smiles mirroring each other.

He goes stiff and suddenly Youngho is too close. He glances down at Youngho; his face holds a mixture of confusion and worry. He must have sensed the change of mood. Donghyuck retreats his hands from Youngho’s shoulders and, instead, lays them in his lap. He hunches his back against the cupboards behind him. His gaze stays fixated on his nail beds.

“Morning, everyone!” Donghyuck hears Mark say to nobody in particular. His voice is loud and clear, sending painful stabs into Donghyuck’s chest. He doesn’t say anything in return. Everyone else in the room does, however. Except Youngho.

Youngho doesn’t say anything, nor does he move from his place. Donghyuck glances up quickly, because he is curious. Youngho has an unreadable expression on his face as he looks at Donghyuck. He feels almost shy under the older’s gaze.

One thing Donghyuck does notice is that Youngho is blocking his view. He can’t see Mark and Yukhei laughing at something Jaehyun said. He doesn’t know if Youngho is doing it on purpose, but Donghyuck is grateful for Youngho not moving in that moment.

“Food is ready!” Donghyuck registers Taeyong saying a beat later. Donghyuck shakes his attention away from Youngho, and he accepts the plate of pancakes being slid his way on the counter.

Youngho gives him space, then. He takes a couple steps behind him and Donghyuck glances at him several times with a mouthful of pancake. Youngho gives him one last look before getting his own plate of syrup covered pancakes.

Donghyuck isn’t quite sure what to make of all of it. He doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, he focuses on finishing his food and avoiding looking in Mark’s and Yukhei’s direction.

 

The plan goes somewhat well.

After finishing his pancakes and dumping his dirty dishes into the sink, Donghyuck makes his way out of the kitchen to go grab his practice bag from his room. That is until a voice stops him just as he makes it into the hallway.

“Hey, Hyuck! I have a question.” It’s Mark. He knows that voice all too well.

Donghyuck stops in his tracks. He counts the beats of silence before slowly turning on his heel to face Mark. Donghyuck sees Mark standing just at the other end of the hallway. Donghyuck tries to keep his face neutral as he gives Mark a nod.

Mark takes a step forward. “I just wanted to check and see if rooming with Youngho-hyung has been any problem?” Mark asks, his voice is sincere as it always is.

Donghyuck doesn’t know what to say. Does he say that Youngho keeps his distance most of the time? Does he tell him the truth? Does he tell him how he can’t fall asleep knowing that Yukhei is the one cuddling Mark? Does Donghyuck tell Mark that he misses him?

“It’s fine,” he manages instead. He sighs quickly, glancing away from Mark’s gaze.

“That’s good. It seems like you two are becoming closer already,” Mark comments. Donghyuck snaps his head towards Mark, furrowing his eyebrows until he starts to feel a crease form.

Donghyuck clears his throat. Now he really doesn’t know what to say. Youngho and Donghyuck have never really been that close. Sure, Youngho would treat Donghyuck with some food or they would hang out when both of them were bored. However, they never really connected in a way such as Mark and Donghyuck did.

Donghyuck wets his lips as he chooses his next words. “Yeah, we are.” Donghyuck feels the pit in his stomach surface. Maybe Youngho and Donghyuck will grow closer. It won’t be bad thing, he thinks.

Mark gives him a small smile, his cheekbones enhancing. Donghyuck always loved his cheekbones. “I’m happy for you, then,” he says, “I know I’ve been hanging out with Yukhei a lot lately, so we haven’t had any time to ourselves.”

Donghyuck does miss hanging out with Mark. He misses what was before all of this. He finds himself wishing to be closer to Mark. He wishes he could just go up to him and embrace him in a hug. He wants that security that Mark’s hold seems to bring. He would hide his feelings for him for the rest of his life if it meant Donghyuck could get close to him. He misses his best friend.

It’s troubling, to say the least.

Donghyuck nods his head dumbly. “Yeah,” he exhales. “Hey, um, I have to get ready for practice, so I’ll see you then.” Donghyuck doesn't take any longer to stand there and stare at Mark’s face as it grows into something more complexed.

By the time Donghyuck turns around and reaches his bedroom, he hears a quiet and slightly bemused, “oh okay. See you then.” Donghyuck ignores the pain in his chest, and he pushes open the door to his bedroom.

He falls against the door once he closes it; he hears a small thud from the impact. He knocks his head back, screwing his eyes shut until he feels his eyelids start to strain. His body feels numb and on fire all at once. He’s not sure if it’s the quick pace of his heart or the shaking of his hands that makes it feel like he’s not in control of his own body. He takes in several deep breaths before shaking his head and pushing himself off the door to get his stuff.

He snatches his bag from the floor and sets it down on the end of his bed. He grabs a pair of sneakers and extra clothes just in case. He zips it up after he gets all of his necessities. He slings it over his shoulder and grabs his phone from the nightstand.

As he walks to leave the room, the door opens. Youngho takes a step into the room, and he eyes Donghyuck silently. Donghyuck wonders if he will say anything. Then, a smile starts forming on Youngho’s lips after another beat of silence.

“Ready to go?” he asks. Donghyuck stands there with his hand gripped on his bag, staring up at the older. He lets his mouth curl up, and he gives him a firm nod.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

They both walk out the of dorms, Youngho closing the main door behind them. As they walk down the stairs that lead to the lobby, Donghyuck notices that Youngho hasn’t said much in the past few minutes. Usually, Youngho is very talkative. He seems to always have a topic of conversation, or even a bland joke to tell. Although knowing this, Donghyuck doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, he allows the comfortable silence and the sound of their footsteps against the floor surround them.

Youngho and Donghyuck exit the building and start walking down the sidewalk that will lead them to the practice building. The walk takes about five minutes. Donghyuck knows this, because he’s walked the same path numerous of times.

Donghyuck sighs quickly, inaudible to anyone else.

He glances to his side to look at Youngho. He is facing the direction in which they are walking, his own bag slung over his shoulder. His expression is neutral from what Donghyuck can tell from his side profile. Donghyuck eyes his hair for a moment. It’s darker now since he dyed it, and it covers one of his eyes. Donghyuck gaze follows the slope of his nose and down to the curve of his top lip. He realizes he is staring when Youngho’s eyes flicker down to him.

Donghyuck whips his head back forward. He clears his throat. He wonders why it feels dry.

“What did Mark talk to you about?” Donghyuck turns his to look at Youngho. He is eyeing Donghyuck carefully.

Donghyuck adjusts his bag to keep it from slipping off his shoulder. He licks his lips before answering, “nothing important.” Donghyuck sighs quickly. “He was just checking on me.”

Donghyuck hears Youngho hum. He doesn’t know if Youngho will say anything else, so he glances back up to ask, “why did you walk with me today? You never do that.”

Youngho turns his head to face him. “Is there a problem with me doing so? You can tell me that you don’t want to walk with me.” Donghyuck sees the genuine look on Youngho’s face, and perhaps Donghyuck doesn’t mind the company.

He starts shaking his head. “No, it’s not like that. I was just wondering why,” he says simply. Youngho starts smiling and it’s infectious. Donghyuck can’t help but to smile back.

“That’s good to here.” Youngho grins around the words. He glances forward as he says, “I just thought it would be nice to walk with you.” He pauses for moment. “Also, lately it seems like you’ve been secluding yourself from the others. I just wanted to let you know that I’m always here to support you.”

Donghyuck stares at Youngho in an odd way. He feels his eyebrows furrow as his hand grips tightly onto the strap of his bag. No one has said that to him. Not ever since he witnessed everything falling apart in front of him with him and Mark. Donghyuck presses his lips together, unable to come up with the right words.

But that doesn’t seem to matter as Youngho grabs him by the elbow and yanks Donghyuck in his direction. Donghyuck yelps as he stumbles into his side, Youngho keeping a hold on him to keep him from falling on the ground. Donghyuck snaps his head up with wide eyes to ask what the hell was that for when Youngho looks down at him with worried eyes. Donghyuck wonders why Youngho has that expression when he was the one to cause Donghyuck to stumble into him.

“I’m sorry,” Youngho says quickly. He lets his grip on Donghyuck’s elbow fall. “You almost walked into someone.” Youngho puts distance between them as he gives Donghyuck another careful glance. “You have to watch where you're going. You could get hurt.”

Donghyuck feels shocked; he didn’t expect that. He feels his face warm slightly, and then he immediately wonders why he is blushing all of a sudden. He never blushes around the members, with the exception of Mark. Youngho was only looking out for him. He gulps quickly and nods dumbly.

“No, I’m sorry,” he says sheepishly. Donghyuck notices that Youngho’s face still looks tense. He tries to give him a smile. “Thank you. For, you know.” He gestures between their bodies.

Youngho’s face relaxes into a smile, his eyes holding a warm gaze. “You’re welcome, Donghyuck-ah,” he says softly.

Donghyuck gets the same weird feeling in his lower stomach. It’s crawling it’s way into his chest. He can’t pinpoint why it’s happening, and it worries him slightly. He attempts to ignore it by reminding himself that they still have to make it to practice in time.

“Come on, hyung. We can’t be late,” Donghyuck says, reaching out to grab Youngho’s wrist and pull him down the sidewalk in a fast pace.

Youngho budges and lets Donghyuck guide him down the road with a small laugh. “Just keep your eyes on where you're going,” Youngho teases. Donghyuck purposely looks behind him and sends a piercing glare at Youngho.

They make it to the building with two minutes to spare.

 

Practice goes well, for the most part.

It is long and draining. The members give their all trying to learn the new choreography for the next single. It is easy for others to grasp the moves; however, there are others who don’t quite get it down.

Donghyuck happens to be one of them.

At first, he had the moves memorized. He moved his feet time and remembered what to do with his arms. He barely broke a sweat as he focused on the choreographer and repeated the movements. That was until Yukhei stopped by during their break.

Donghyuck watches from the floor that he sits on at how Mark greeted him with a big hug. Yukhei follows the embrace by placing a kiss on his cheek. They stare into each other’s eyes with warm smiles and flushed faces. Their moment is ruined by Taeyong interrupting to say that the break will be over in five minutes. Donghyuck is thankful for Lee Taeyong once again.

However, there are only so many things Taeyong can do. For instance, he can’t tell Yukhei to leave the room, even when the break is ending. Donghyuck drags himself up from his place as he attempts to ignore the sound of his heart beating in his ears. He tries to continue to focus after that, but it seems like his eyes always find Yukhei in the reflection of the mirror. He is smiling in the direction of his boyfriend and, he makes a few exclaims when Mark does a move really well.

Donghyuck also finds his eyes traveling to Mark. His gaze will snap to Mark’s in the middle of a move. He stares through the reflection of the mirror, unable to look away from his fluid movements and powerful aura. His face is pensive and focused, his eyes examining himself through his reflection. Donghyuck can’t take his eyes off of him. He has this effect on Donghyuck; he feels hypnotized by watching Mark dance with his heart and soul.

All of sudden, Donghyuck loses his balance as he attempts to step to his side for a move. His ankle rolls on its side, and his arms react by reaching out in front of him to anticipate the impact. He hits the wooden floor with a loud cry of pain. The members immediately run to him for help as they see his body laying on the practice floor. Donghyuck hisses in pain, trying hard to hold back the tears that threaten to fall.

He feels bodies crowd around him and ask him what happened either to him or among themselves. He feels a pair of hands pushing his sweat matted hair gently away from his eyes. He then registers a voice speaking to him among the other panicked ones.

“Where does it hurt, Donghyuck?” Donghyuck doesn't have to open his tightly shut eyes to know that voice belongs to the soft spoken Youngho. He rubs at Donghyuck’s back comfortably.

Donghyuck can only release pained whimpers as one of the members touch his ankle. Youngho must realize where he is hurting as he says, “hey, be careful with his ankle. He might have sprained it.” Donghyuck lets a pitiful whimper slip from his mouth at the statement. How could he have been so reckless and possibly sprain his ankle with a comeback coming so soon?

“I just called the medic. They should be here any minute,” Taeyong says somewhere above Donghyuck. He feels his body being moved onto his back by multiple hands. As pain runs up his leg, his breathing becomes shallow by the movement. A hand runs through his hair lightly once he is situated on his back.

“Hyuck, can you open your eyes?” Donghyuck hears being said to him. He is momentarily surprised to hear someone so close to him who isn’t Youngho. Donghyuck coaxes himself into cracking his eyes open. The bright lights from the ceiling blur his vision, so he blinks to help clear his sight.

He sees two heads in front of him, one on each side of his body. As his eyesight focuses, he sees the worried faces of Youngho and Mark staring down at him. Donghyuck gazes at both of them, his eyes bouncing back from one to the other. He lifts his head to glance down his body to see the damage he did on his ankle, but Youngho sandwiches his head between his hands and carefully brings his head back down to rest on the floor. He removes his hand from Donghyuck’s forehead, but he doesn’t move the hand under Donghyuck’s head.

“It’s okay. We’ll get you patched up,” Youngho says softly with a small smile. Donghyuck stares up at him as feels his heartbeat quicken. He wonders hazily why it is his heart is betraying him in a situation like this. He is sure it is due to Mark being so close to him for the first time in what seems like forever. Although, he wonders why it’s happening while he’s looking at Youngho and his soft features.

He turns his head to look at Mark, then. He hasn’t been this close to him so long. He could count his eyelashes and appreciate every flaw on his face. He stares for a while; he wonders if Mark will be weirded out by his heavy gaze. Donghyuck opens his mouth, then, ready to say something. Mark gives him a look, his worried expression changing to something more of anticipation. However, Donghyuck chooses not to say anything, and instead he closes his mouth shut. He rolls his head back, Youngho’s hand a cushion for him, and he keeps his face towards the ceiling as Youngho and Mark keep their gazes on Donghyuck.

He waits for the medic to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?? Comment your thoughts ♡


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